Groups oppose changes in Chesrown’s water permit

An angry neighborhood group and the Kootenai Environmental Alliance are protesting a change Black Rock Utilities wants in its water permit, alleging it would be excessive and wasteful.

The protesters fear that changing the water permit designation to municipal use from the current irrigation classification ultimately would allow the company, which owns the area’s first luxury golf retreat, to suck more water from Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Black Rock owner Marshall Chesrown says the groups have their information wrong and says he’s not asking for more water. Instead, he said, the municipal designation would allow him to use the water on an additional 1,100 acres – land where he wants to build another 18-hole golf course, clubhouse and 325 homes.

“Their comments are full of inaccuracies,” Chesrown said. “They don’t understand it at all.”

Chesrown said he already has enough water for both irrigation and drinking to supply Black Rock North, which is awaiting final approval by Kootenai County. He just needs to amend his water permit to allow it to cover the entire 1,800 acres. The municipal designation would do just that, he said.

But Kootenai Environmental Alli-ance’s Barry Rosenberg isn’t convinced. He says the permit change could allow Black Rock to draw an additional 192.3 million gallons of water from the lake per year.

Rosenberg also said the proposal would allow the company to use water year-round for irrigation, which is impractical in Idaho’s cold winter months.

Bob Haynes of the Idaho Department of Water Resources says the change wouldn’t necessarily mean Black Rock could use more water. That’s one of the things the state must consider during the approval process. Haynes said it’s possible the state might limit when the company can draw water from the lake for irrigation.

Also protesting the water permit change is the Coalition for Positive Rural Impact at Rockford Bay and Loff’s Bay. It’s signed by 68 Kootenai County residents.

Jai Nelson, whose property borders the Black Rock North land, wants to know what Black Rock intends to do with any extra water. She also questions whether the development’s storm water and wastewater treatment systems, in addition to fertilizers being used on the current golf course, are polluting the lake.

Rosenberg questions why Black Rock wants the change and why no explanation is given on its application.

The state will encourage the protesters and Black Rock to try to hash out their differences and come to an agreement. If that fails, the state likely will hold an informal hearing. If no agreement is reached then, the state will hold a formal hearing, Haynes said.

The amount of water piped from Lake Coeur d’Alene each year is unknown because the state doesn’t monitor the consumption.

Rosenberg said it’s disturbing that nobody knows the cumulative impact, especially when so many golf course developments, which have the potential to consume millions of gallons of water each day, are proposed around the lake.

“It could affect recreation, lake levels and flows over the dam” at Post Falls, he said. “I think there needs to be a study.”